How to Start Freelancing as a Computer Science Student

Are you an undergraduate student and want a side hustle to earn money? Then this article is for you. There 47% of workers are freelancers worldwide. Freelancing as a Computer Science student might confuse you, as there are many fields in this category.

You can’t master them all!

Moreover, the technology keeps on getting updated daily. So, it is essential for you to keep yourself acknowledged for the updates.

Freelancing helps you earn from fixed-price projects and hourly. It is also a great way to practice your knowledge with clients, agencies, and companies. It also builds your networks among professionals working globally. Let’s look at how you can start freelancing as a Computer Science Student.

Pick a Niche

As we have mentioned, there are many sub-fields in Computer Science. You can pick a couple of your interests and start working on them. Make your goals and achieve them, respectively. As a student, you shouldn’t aim to work as a full-time freelancer, as it might affect your studies.

Besides this, you will be studying several courses as an undergraduate Computer Science student. You need to figure out your interest and which niche to choose to start freelancing.

Learn and Practice

Whatever you’ve chosen to work on, You’ve to learn and master the niche consistently to stand out in the high competition.

Practice is essential to become an expert in the field. Suppose you are working as a programmer or website developer; you’ll have to consistently practice and learn to stay up to date with the latest trends. In addition, learn daily and practice it. Furthermore, you must provide quality work to clients to become a successful freelancer.

There are online coding practice platforms that you can visit daily and start practicing your skills. One of the sites is LeetCode.

Find a Platform to Start

As a beginner, I recommend you start pitching clients via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. These are the platforms where you can get clients from Facebook groups. Apply for those jobs which are relevant to your experience. Try providing clients with problem solutions when applying for a job.

Keep reading if you want to know more about freelance platforms.

Best Platforms to Work as a Freelancer for Computer Science Students

If you have gained experience by working for local clients, it’s time to take a flight to top-demanded freelance platforms. Here is the list top 3 freelance platforms for Computer Science Students. Let’s leapfrog into it:

Upwork

Upwork is one of the leading freelance platforms. It is a professional and demanding platform. It provides hundreds of opportunities for individuals who are looking to make money online. It is also a trusted and reliable platform if you are looking to start your freelance journey.

On Upwork, you have to maintain your profile and optimize it accordingly to your expertise. Also, it might be difficult to hunt clients on this platform as it requires “connects” to submit a proposal.

As a Computer Science student, Upwork is an ideal platform for you. There are more than 10k remote jobs are posted on this platform daily. Although, achieving success on Upwork isn’t a cup of tea for everyone. But we have all the guides available regarding this platform. Check out the links below.

Fiverr

It is also a leading freelance platform to work on, but it is quite different from Upwork. Fiverr has strict rules and regulations. You can’t advertise any other website, or else you’ll receive a warning.

Furthermore, as a Computer Science student, you’ll have multiple niches in which you can create your own gigs on Fiverr. You can create more than one gig on Fiverr in multiple niches. Make sure to optimize your gig.

In addition, It is one of the oldest freelance platforms. It is pivotal to understand the nitty-gritty details of this site.

Click the links below to read related articles:

Also Read: 10 Fiverr Gigs Ideas to Rank on First Page

Freelancer.com

If you are a beginner, Freelancer.com is a great website. You can find different opportunities according to your niche. It is similar to Upwork, where you have to submit proposals. You can search for jobs by applying different filters, such as location, past client reviews, and price. However, I didn’t like this platform that much. I was scammed by lunatics and didn’t prefer my writers to bid on jobs there.

In addition, you need to get testimonials from clients in order to target high-paying clients. Provide your client’s value, don’t worry about the money at the beginning of your freelance journey.

Start with Low

As a beginner, charging high won’t get your work. It is important to get reviews from the client. For that, I recommend you start by charging low. Set your rates average, but not below it. You can consult professional working and discuss them.

You can also charge hourly for every project. I started by charging hourly, so I could take an idea of how much time a project would take. However, I never charged higher than the market rates. Also, once you start getting projects, you can raise your rates.

Impressive Portfolio

It doesn’t matter If you are an expert or a guru; without a portfolio, you won’t be able to land reliable clients. You can include past client reviews, high-quality sample work, and experience. It will make your portfolio look exquisite. It will define your work experience and why you should be hired.

Develop Soft Skills

It’s not about practicing your skills but their other professional tactics. You should also improve your communication, time management, and teamwork ability. As a student, you must schedule your work and studies accordingly. Don’t bulk your day with a ton of freelance projects.

Freelance Jobs for Computer Science Students

There will be companies offering you internships during your degree, which is beneficial for your skills, but it won’t pay you king’s ransom, but it is a good step if you are looking to earn experience. Moreover, according to Zety, 91% of the employees prefer past working experience candidates. Freelancing helps you gain experience in different fields, which makes your CV or resume strong enough to stand among others.

Here are the best remote Computer Science jobs for Students:

Software Developer

Software Development is the most demanding job you can find online. It is also one of the highest-paying jobs. Many companies and agencies are always in the process of hiring Software Developers. Software Developers have many opportunities in the market. Clients on Upwork and other platforms offer

Flutter Developer

Flutter Developer is a kind of software engineer but has excellency in Flutter Framework. It is front-end software. If you are familiar with JavaScript and OOP (Object Oriented Programming Languages such as Python, C++, etc.), it would be much easier for you to start Flutter.

Computer Hardware Engineer

It is also one of the most demanding jobs for Computer Science students. You will be hired to test different computer systems and also create them. It has high demand in the United States, where an average salary of a Computer Hardware Engineer falls between $30,000 and $135,000.

In-Demand Skills for Computer Science Students

Here are the best skills which are ideal for starting your freelance journey as a Computer Science Student:

Artificial Intelligence

It is one of the most well-known and paid jobs. Although, this skill isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. To get expertise in this niche, you’ll have to learn and practice languages such as C++, Python, etc.

As an AI Engineer, you will have to create and program AI systems that solve people’s problems and improve efficiency and performance. You can take different courses from Coursera or Udemy to learn more about Artificial Intelligence.

Data Science

If you are interested in solving computational problems and other complex algorithms, then Data Science is an ideal field for you. As a Data Scientist, you will have to extract meaningful and useful information from your knowledge, which leads to problem-solving and making the right decision for a certain industry or company.

Related Article: How to Make Money With Data Science in 2022

Programming

As we all are acquainted, programming is a set of instructions that guides the system properly and efficiently. Moreover, Programmers have high demand in the market. Although, it requires the intense practice of codes and learning them properly.

Furthermore, as a programmer, you will have to program software and a system that helps an industry or business achieve its goals. Python, JavaScript, Ruby, C, and C++ are the common programming languages that you should learn.

Conclusion

You should find a side hustle to bear your expenses as a student. Freelancing is the right option, as it only requires WiFi and a Laptop to start. Moreover, Computer Science is a wide field with several options.

The above article describes how you can start freelancing as a Computer Science Student, the best in-demand skills, and freelance jobs. If you are interested in learning money-making ideas and freelancing guides, please read more articles at Farazdev.com!